Home Entertainment System Speakers Buyers Guide

Some people’s dream is to have the experience of a movie theater in their homes. Other people just want to watch their favorite TV shows in comfort. A wide variety of home entertainment system speakers are available and there’s certain a set for whatever your needs and desires are. If you are simply using the speakers that are in your TV, the good news is that virtually anything you can buy will probably be a big improvement.

The simplest solution is a good set of bookshelf speakers. Look for a pair that have both a woofer which is several inches wide and a separate tweeter for the treble sounds. Though a very small pair of speakers is tempting because they take up so little space, the reality is that most of them won’t have good mid-tone and bass reproduction regardless of what the marketing says. The bigger speaker cone is necessary to produce lower sounds and that’s simply the way it is.

Another option is buy a 2.1 channel system. This means two front stereo speakers paired with a subwoofer that usually lives on the floor. In this scenario, it’s probably okay if the two front speakers are small because the necessary bass will be provided by the subwoofer instead. This is a great solution for if you want great sound but don’t want to clutter up your decor with big speakers.

Another option is a surround sound system. The most common type is called 5.1 channel surround sound. This type of sound system has 2 front stereo speakers and a subwoofer (this is “.1”) just like a 2.1 channel system. In addition, you get a pair of rear speakers that will provide the immerse and 3-d quality of the sound plus a single front channel speaker which is primarily used for dialog. In addition to the immersive experience of surround sound, many people love having a center channel for dialog which doesn’t mix the speaking parts of the movie with loud explosions and other sound effects.